RESULTS: Women's Emerson WSA Racquet Club Pro
Series,
St Louis, Missouri, USA
Kobayashi Cruises To Career-Biggest Title
In St Louis
Japan's Misaki Kobayashi claimed the biggest Women's Squash
Association World Tour title of her career after defeating Canadian
Samantha Cornett in the final of the Emerson WSA Racquet Club
Pro Series, the WSA Tour 10 event at St Louis Racquet Club
in St Louis in the US state of Missouri.
The
world No35 from Kanagawa - the highest highest-ranked Japanese woman of
all-time - made her breakthrough in the semi-finals where she beat top
seed Emily Whitlock, avenging her four-game defeat by the world
No27 from England in the Greenwich Open earlier in the year.
In the
other semi, North American hope Cornett, the No4 seed from Ottawa, ended
the giant-killing run of Amanda Landers-Murphy - beating the
seventh-seeded New Zealander who upset second-seeded American Latasha
Khan in the previous round.
The
final marked the pair's third Tour meeting - all of which had been on US
soil.
Kobayashi was in sparkling form - the record-equalling five-time
Japanese champion despatching reigning Canadian champion Cornett 11-6,
11-7, 11-7 to win the sixth WSA Tour title of her career.
"I'm
happy with my first Tour 10 title, pleased with the way I performed
throughout the tournament," said the jubilant 24-year-old afterwards.
"This will build the confidence I needed.
"What
make me even more happy is all those texts I received from my family and
friends from all over the world!! I really appreciate the great support.
"But
this journey is not ended yet - the Mayfair Open starts on Wednesday in
Toronto. I'm hoping to keep the good form from here! Onwards and
upwards!"
Multinational Quarters In St Louis
Players from eight different nations will contest the quarter-finals
of the Emerson WSA Racquet Club Pro Series after all the
seeds survived the opening round of the Women's Squash
Association Tour 10 event at St Louis Racquet Club in
St Louis in the US state of Missouri.
England's Emily Whitlock led the way - but the 20-year-old
top seed was taken to four games by US-based compatriot Millie
Tomlinson before overcoming the qualifier 11-8, 5-11, 11-8,
11-5.
Second seed Latasha Khan leads home interest in the
championship. Winner of the club's inaugural WSA event in 2009,
Seattle-based Khan also needed four games to see off Canadian
Hollie Naughton 11-8, 11-7, 11-13, 11-9.
But Samantha Cornett ensured Canadian interest in the last
eight after beating Mexican qualifier Diana Garcia 11-4,
11-9, 11-4.
Meanwhile No3 seed Misaki Kobayashi(pictured above with
Cornett) made sure of ongoing Japanese involvement in the
championship when she beat USA's Cecelia Cortes 11-2, 11-5,
11-2.
